Thomas lamb



' ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS LAMB, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF1 COLUMBIA.

WINDLASS-BEDSTEAD.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

T0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS LAMB, of the city of Vashington, in the District of Golumbia, have invented a new improvement or combination of machinery for attaching and tightening the rails of bedsteads to the posts, which I effect in a manner that is at once simple, effective, and convenient; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

Upon each end of the rails I turn a cylindrical pin, or round tenon, which may be two inches and a half long, more or less, and an inch and a half, more or less, in diameter; around each of these pins I turn a groove, or hollow, which may be about three eighths of an inch wide, and the same in depth; or of such other Size as may be preferred. Holes are to be bored into the posts to receive these round tenons, or pins, and in which holes they are to fit closely and turn easily. To retain them in place when in serted, I bore holes through the faces of the posts, of the same diameter with the grooves, on the round tenons, and leading directly into them; and into these holes I drive pins of hard wood, or of metal, the inner ends of which are to pass into the grooves on the round tenons, and their outer ends are to be worked off flush with the outsides of the posts. To enable me to insert the tenons in place, I cut a groove, or gain, leading from the groove which is around the tenon to the end, which I make sufficiently wide and deep to pass the projecting point of the pin, and on turning the rail around it will then be locked in place. On the shoulder of the tenon I place a section of a too-thed or ratchet wheel, the teeth projecting beyond the shoulder. On the post directly over the mo-rtise, is placed a pawl intended to play against the teeth of the ratchet wheel.

The operation is that when the tenon is placed 'into the mortise and the groove turned over the pin, the pin and groove bring and keep the ratchet wheel directly under the pawl so that the ratchet wheel and pawl always act together-and also are not displaced and separated by the strain of turning the lever, but the post and tenon shoulder are kept together while the operation of turning the lever is performed. The rails may be made either round or square.

1,856, dated November 13, 1840.

Of the round the swelled beam I prefer. To enable meto take down my bedstead with facility I insert opposite the groove or gain which leads from the first-mentioned. groove to the end of the tenon,-on the shoulder of the rail a pin of wood flush with the outsideor make a small hole or notch so that in turningthe rail when this pin comes opposite the onev which is inserted through the face of the post, the groove will draw over the pin, and the tenon will draw out.

In putting up my bedsteads I first putup the head and foot boards, then the two end rails, and then the side rails last.

In the accompanying drawing, A, is a portion of a round rail, and B, the cylindrical tenen on its end.

C, is a groove turned around it, kand a.,

the groove, or gain, leading from it to the outer end of the tenon. D, is one of the posts, and E, a hole bored into it to receive the tenon B, and Z), the pin which enters the groove C, in the tenon, F, section of ratchet wheel G, pawl, and H, hole for lever.

Having thus, fully described the nature of my invention, and shown the manner in which I carry the same into operation what I claim therein, is-

The combination of the groove on the tenon in connection with the pin in the mortise, with the windlass, to obtain, first, the new effect of keeping the tenon from being displaced laterally until the windlass can be brought to act: and, second, to keep the rail and post close while the lever is acting and prevent their separation by the strain of turning the lever, as the windlass has no power to draw its tenon laterallyand the groove and pin and tenen have no power on the other hand to keep the rail tight, when drawn tight against the post, without the windlass: and, third, also to obtain the additional result of keeping the paw] of the windlass up to and directly over the ratchet wheel so that the pawl shall certainly act; and thus the combination of the parts, acting together and mutually aiding the action of each other.

THOS. LAMB.

Witnesses:

B. K. MORSELL, JAMES MARSHALL. 

